1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a video projector that obliquely projects images formed in its image display element (e.g., liquid crystal panel) onto a projection screen or board, thereby displaying the images in a magnified manner.
2. Description of the Related Art
Such a video projector is required to project an adequately magnified image on a screen, and what is particularly required are that the shadow of the user should not be projected on the screen and that the user should be able to avoid directly seeing image light rays from the projector. For this reason, video projectors are now manufactured, which require a shorter distance to a screen. The optical projection system of such a video projector is designed such that image light rays are obliquely projected onto a screen. Another known video projector achieves a short projection distance by employing rear projection in which a reflective mirror is arranged between the image display element of the projector and a screen.
An example of such a projector with a short projection distance is the one disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-259252. This projector has a reflective mirror for reflecting image light rays from its projection lenses and a mirror support mechanism for supporting and rotating the reflective mirror. The projector is fixed to the mirror support mechanism such that image light rays from the projector are incident on the reflective mirror at particular angles. When front projection is employed, the projector is housed or covered by the mirror support mechanism.